Cambodia, Indonesia plan to expand direct flight, and agricultural cooperation

Cambodia and Indonesia plan to enhance the bilateral cooperation on the direct flights from Jakarta to Siem Reap, home of Angkor Wat temple and top foreign destination of Cambodia and expand more cooperation on the agricultural sector between the two countries, senior officials said April 29.

The announcement of enhancing the cooperation for the two ASEAN countries after the meeting between Dr. Sok An, deputy prime minister and minister in charge of the council of ministers and out- going Indonesian Ambassador His Excellency I Gede Ngurah Swajaya. H.E. Swajaya high appreciated for the bilateral cooperation between Cambodia-Indonesia on various fields including culture, ancient temple development and conservation cooperation between Angkor Wat temple and Borobudur Temple, Indonesia that has similarity of the cultural styles and H.E Swajaya also thanked the Cambodian government that contributed to making his mission with success.

H.E Swajaya expressed his surprise with the religious ceremony on Siem Reap province on April 28 that joined from other religious officials from ASEAN countries after thousands of people participated in the religious events that could attract tourists to visit here and expand the religious cooperation for harmonization of the religious cooperation.

“Indonesian investors expressed their interests on tourism sector in Cambodia and asked Cambodian side to open direct flights between Siem Reap and Jakarta,” H.E Swajaya said, even the global financial crisis has occurred, the trade volume for the two countries increased sharply. An increased for Indonesia topped 20 per cent and Cambodian side exported to Indonesia increasing 100 per cent. The two-way trade volume for the two countries cost 72 million US dollars in 2009.

“We hope it will have more exporting trade for the two countries under framework of the bilateral cooperation, and more bilateral cooperation in ASEAN bloc,” Indonesian Ambassador noted.

Dr Sok An said: both countries have good relation in bilateral ties and in ASEAB group and we will expand more cooperation on the tourism and agricultural sector because these fields have played the key role in contribution for the development and poverty reduction of the countries.

“We have seen that there is a good point for Cambodia that has been enhancing the progress of the agricultural sector. We need the machines for agricultural fields. If Indonesia is to invest the assembling factories for machines for agricultural sector in Cambodia, that is a good chance for us because Cambodia currently produced rice products not only in rainy season but also dry season, he said, adding that last year we harvested about 7 million tons for rice product.

Indonesia established the diplomatic relation with Cambodia on March 27, 1962 and terminated the relation in 1975 and established on January 15, 1992. Indonesia contributed 75, 000 US dollars for the restoration and conservation of Angkor wat temple, and provided 10,000 US dollar for victims of storm disaster, and military aid for the national defense ministry and especially it helped training paramilitary troops of parachutes, and also provided 15 tractors for agricultural sector and number of rice drying machines, and two small sizes of rice mills for ministry of agriculture, forestry and fisheries of Cambodia. ###